Controllable headlight for vehicles.



B. HARGR- EAVES. 'GONTROLLABLE HEADLIGHT FOR 'VEHIOLES'.

, APPLICATION FILED OCT. 24, 191']v msww Patented Au 27, 1912.

s SHEETS-SHEET 1'.-

w. H'ARGREAVES. GONTBOLLABLB HEADLIGHT FOR VEHICLES. APPLIUAITION IILED OCT. 2-1, I911.

1,037,000. Patented Aug. 27, 1912.

" STAENT m r.

WILSON B. HARGBEAVES, 0F BLOOMING-DALE, NE'WJERE'EY.

oonTnoLLABLE HEADLIGHT non VEHICLE-S.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILSON B. Ham

onnavns, a citizen of the United States of.

America, residing at Bloomingdalmin the county of Pass'aic and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Controllable Headlights for Vehicles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates, to lighting devices for vehicles, to light up the road at night, in order that the driver, engineer or chauffeur may see whether the road is free and clear of .obstacles or the reverse and to prevent accidents and collisions.

i There are methods of lighting and illuminating vehicles now in vogue in which dirigible supports for lamps are employed and othercontrolling means for headlights; but the turn of the lamp is limited by the controlling means.

The object of my invention is to rovide a lamp or lamps, or other illuminatlng devices, which not only turn in unison with the front'or steering wheels of the vehicle on which are operated in congunction, and

in combination, with the steering mechanism; but to provide a lamp which may be turned completely around or made to face in any direction and which may he "made. to tip at an angle, as shown in the accompanying drawings, for the purpose of making repairs or backing up.

It isv obvious that the adoption of-my safety lighting device will makethe roads, at'curves or crossings, where-streets-.1ntersect, safer, for both pedestrians and passengers in vehicles, as in turning corners or curves the lights or lamps turn" with the pivotal part of the runninggear or steering wheels in advance-of the body and light up the path tobe traversed, and that-thelamp' may be reversed to lightup the jIOHCl when going backward, or when making repairs. I

Afurther object is'to provide a; device of this character which can be readily attached to or detached from'theoperating. mechanism of the steering apparatus ortola portion of the wagon that is pivoted to swerve .as required, to either side of the'lineof draft, when turning a 'curve or corner, In the Specification of Letters Patent. Patten heading. 27, 1912. Application fi1ed'0ctober24, 1911. Serial No. 656,540. I

day-time the lamps being detached from v the steering mechanism much wear and tearis thus avoided.

A still further object'is top r ovide a device of this character, which can allow for inequalities in, or unevenness of the road" of this specification and represent what I' consider the best means for putting my invention into practice.

In the several views, like reference numer.

als indicate like parts. I

Figure 1, is a plan view and Figa 2 an elevation of my device, showing theoperation of the same; Figs. 3 and ifare two vertical sections of the lamp-support, said sections being perpendicular to each other,

showing the rise of the spindle inthe head;

and. Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are respectively end" and front elevat ons and plan view showing without interfering with the construction or the pivotal connections of the connecting rod and arms; Fig, 8 is afront View of. my device attached to .an automobile; in connection with the steering axle, and Figs. 9, l0 and 11 are respectively plan View and side and front elevations showing my device employed in connection with the tie-bar, which connects the steering arms, of automobile axles. p

The lamps 32 and 32 may be mounted in bracketsBt and .34 and the lower ends .of said brackets besecured against movement adapted to-receive. the lower ends of said brackets in'the spindles 18.- Spindle 18 passesthrough the bearing-head 1, which is 95 iii-dotted. lines in Fig. 4, by means of the.

secured to the automobile frame, as shown lugs 14: and 15 and the bolt 13, The spindle 18 is provided at its upper-end. with a oy'- lindrical pocket shown in section in F1gs 3 and 4:. The bracketin which the lamp-1s pivot-ally hung fits into the 'upper cylindrical pocket in the spindle 18. and may be .bythe bolt 17 in the fr eceptacl es,which are.

turned around in any direction-and'held p against movement loy the thumb screw 17.

.- 'The lower end of the spindle 18 receives the 'end of. the vertical portion of the bent arm 3, and is securedthereto by the screw 25, and held in position therein by the screw" 25 is the bent arm 3. Motion is imparted to said bent arms 3 by me-ans of an adjustable rod, consisting of the two parts Land 5, the latter sliding within. the former and being held in place by the screw 12. The arm 36 is fastened to the steering axle 33, as indicated in Fig. 8, and as shown by the dotted circle in Fig. 1 by means of the straps23 and bolt24: .At each end of the arms or rods 4 and '5, is a fork or bifurcated end 6 and 7., The rings 9 and 11 are pivotally fastened to the said forks l5 and 7 by means of the pivots and 21 as shown in Fig. 1 I The arms 3 and 36 pass through said rings 9 and 11 respectively, which are held in place on said arms by the collars 19 and 22 and the nuts 8 and -10.

,When the steering axle 33 turns, it twists the device to the position shown by the dotted linesin Figs. 1 and 2, thus turning the and 28, which are connected and adjustable by the turn-buckle 31. Slight modifications may be made inthe construction of this rod to suit the construction of various automo 'biles, as for instancethe rod may be constructed with a'drop as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 6, to avoid coming in contact with the engine starting crank of an automobile, J

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, which are two vertical sections of the head 1, said sections being perpendicular to each other, the rise of the spindle 18 that has the base end of its pocket conformably engaging in the concave seat at the upper end of the head 1 appears when the spindle is turned 90 degrees ofa revolution, said rise being indicated at the dotted line a. This rise combined with the afotion of the spiral spring 35, which surrounds the lower portion of the spindle between the head 1, and the collar and nut 25, 55

' ing of. the spindle, and will tend to make the which exerts a downward pull on thebearspindle assume its normal position.

When the device is not in use, the spindle 18 maybe disengaged from the steering gear and preve'ntedfromv turning by the-manipulation of the screw 16, as shown in Fig. 4:. If desired,-1ny invention may be utilized as shown by the modification represented in Figs. 9, 10 and 11, which are respectively a 'nlnn qirln and front. elevation of mv device.

which does not depart from the scope and spiritof my invention 35 is the tie-bar which connects the two front wheels of the vehicle, 38 is a slotted plate which is suitably secured to the said tie-bar. The bent sleeve 37 and the bent arm 3pass through the slot-' ted plate 33 which controls the turning of the light and at the same time permits the plate 38 to rise and fall without affecting the position of the lamp when the wheels encounter a rough or uneven road.

The rectilinear motion of the tie-bar 35 and the plate 38 is converted to a rotary motion of the lamp or lamps by the means above described.

. With this description of my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, isp 1. In combination with a bearing head, a spindle extendingthrough said head and having an upper pocket to receive the lamp bracket the base end of which pocket seats on the upper end of the bearing head, a bent arm having one end extending into and secured to the lower end of saidspindle, and means to connect the opposite end of said arm to the steering mechanism of an automobile or the like.

2. In combination with a bearing head having a concave seat at its upper end, a spindle in the bearing head having a cylindrical pocket at its upper end, the base end of said pocket beingconformably received in said concave seat, a lamp bracket having the lower end thereof rotatably received in said pocket, a set screw to hold said lamp bracket against rotation in said pocket, and means to connect the spindle to the steering mechanism-0f an automobile or the like.

3. In combination with a bearing head, a spindle arranged therein, a; cylindrical pocket carried by said spindle and engaging the upper end of said bearing head so asto hold the spindle against downward movement, a lamp bracket having a part thereof rotatably mounted in said pocket so as to enable the lamp to be turned in a horizontal plane independent of the spindle, and a set screw to lock the lamp bracket in the pocket against movement inde ndent thereof.

4. In combination with a bearing head, a spin lle arranged therein, a cylindrical p0 wket carried by said spindle and engaging the upper end of said bearing head so as to hold the spindle against downward movement, the upper end of said bearing head be ing inclined, a lamp bracket having a part thereof rotatably mounted in" said pocket, an abutment on the spindle below the bearing head, a spring encircling the spindle and en a in between the lower end of said bearing head and the abutment to exert down- In testimony whereof I afiix my signature ysrd pressure thereon to assist the spindle in presence of two witnesses. 3n riding down said inclined portion-of the upper end of the bearing head after the v WILSON HARGREAVES' 5 spindle has been given partial rotary move- V Witnesses: meat, and means to connect the spindle to FREDERIG C. BARNES,

the steering mechanism of an automobile. WM. M. Dnosn. 

